Up Next: June Arts

By
Stephanie Merry

If you have energy for more art after the sensory overload that is Artomatic, then be sure to check the Sackler's version of Hirshhorn After Hours, Irvine Contemporary's look at graffiti art and the Smithsonian's celebration of Welsh culture, among other things.

The first item on the calendar in June is Asia After Dark. The Freer and Sackler are offering an after-hours look at their exhibitions, like the opulent gifts to Russian tsars currently on display. Your $18 ticket will also get you the chance to see a performance by the Silk Road Dance Company, grab a drink at the cash bar, snack on food from Mie N Yu and check out hands on arts activities. (6:30-11:30 p.m. June 4)

Flashpoint is putting the work of Ami Martin Wilber on display for "Gestation." The artist worked for 40 weeks (so you can guess where the exhibition title came from) repetitively molding 100 five-by-three inch white egg sculptures. The tiny works will be displayed on the floor, so don't feel shy about getting down on the ground for a closer view. (June 11-July 18)

Civilian Art Projects has a slightly more in-your-face exhibition of "concert posters from 27 artists." The posters really run the gamut from a crying dove (no, not for Prince -- actually a Rogue Wave show) to a sad-eyed abstract face (TV on the Radio) to a slightly disturbing scene with a couple of demon-cherubs and a dog (Cat Power). (June 12-27)

The Phillips Collection is celebrating the human form this month with "Paint Made Flesh." More than 40 works show the various ways painters like Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon and Willem de Koonig portray people. (June 20-Sept. 13)

A huge retrospective of work by photographer William Eggleston is on its way to the Corcoran. There will be more than 120 photos, including Eggleston's rarely-exhibited early black-and-whites, and the added bonus of the artist's foray into video with "Stranded in Canton." The photographer will also be on hand to discuss his life and work on June 17. And don't forget: Saturdays are free during the summer months. (June 20-Sept. 20)

For "Street/Studio," Irvine Contemporary will be exhibiting work both in and outside of the gallery. The exhibition focuses on work by artists such as Shepard Fairey and Pisa73, who turn urban spaces into their own personal canvases. (June 20-Aug. 1)

Dutch painter Judith Leyster was the most famous female painter of her time, and the National Gallery is celebrating the 17th-century artist with a small exhibition of her works. To round out the show, there will also be paintings by Frans Hals, her contemporary who she may have learned from. (June 21)

June comes to a close with the help of the Smithsonian's annual celebration of three random themes. This year's Folklife Festival will be giving Wales, African-American storytelling and music of the America's their moment in the sun. (June 24-July 5)